Effects of Hot Pack Therapy on Post-Colonoscopy Pain: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Study

Post-colonoscopy pain (PCP) is a negative condition that causes physical and psychological distress to patients and may lead to noncompliance with treatment and follow-up. The most common hypothesis for the cause of PCP is the inflation of the lumen with air to examine the mucosa. There are no previous studies that have examined the effects of thermal therapy in patients with PCP.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of the Hot Pack (HP) method in patients with PCP.

Randomized, controlled, prospective study.

Patients were randomized 1:1 into 2 groups of HP and control. In the HP group, hot packs of 40-45°C, kept in a hydrocollator heating unit for 30-35 minutes and wrapped in towels, were applied to the umbilical and hypogastric region of patients in the supine position for 30 minutes. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores were used to measure the pain after colonoscopy. Visual analog scores at 1, 6, and 24 hours were recorded and compared in both groups.

There was a significant difference in the presence and severity of pain between the two groups at 1 and 6 hours after colonoscopy (p < .001 and p = .004, respectively). There was no significant difference in pain scores at 24 hours between two groups.

This study showed that the application of HP to patients after colonoscopy is effective in reducing pain in the early period.